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# API overview

Programmatic uploads and batch jobs for self-hosted Songs2VID. Generate your API key under **Dashboard → Settings → API key**.

Keys start with `s2yt_live_` and are shown once at creation. The OSS / Docker image always allows API use — there is no plan or credit gate.

## Authentication

Send the key on every request:

```http
Authorization: Bearer s2yt_live_your_key_here
```

Requirements:

- YouTube channel connected (sign in with Google OAuth that includes YouTube scopes)

OAuth setup: [Getting started](../getting-started.md) and Google’s [OAuth 2.0 for Web Server Applications](https://developers.google.com/identity/protocols/oauth2/web-server). YouTube scopes/API: [YouTube Data API Overview](https://developers.google.com/youtube/v3/getting-started).

## Rate limits

Self-hosted OSS uses a very high per-account ceiling (effectively unlimited for normal automation). You will rarely see `429`.

If a limit is hit, the response is **429** with `retryAfterSeconds` and a `Retry-After` header. See [Endpoints — HTTP errors](./endpoints.md#http-errors).

## Choosing a flow

### Recommended: two-step (especially 5+ audio files)

1. Upload each file with `POST /api/v1/upload`
2. Create the job with `POST /api/v1/jobs` (JSON paths)

This avoids huge multipart bodies. Max batch size is **100** tracks per job.

### One-shot batch: small packs only

`POST /api/v1/jobs/batch` accepts one cover image and a few audio files in a single multipart request. Large bodies often fail with:

```text
failed to parse body as FormData
```

Prefer two-step for albums or long tracklists.

### Multipart tips

- Do not set `Content-Type` manually for multipart; the client must include the boundary
- In Postman: Body → form-data; each audio field key must be exactly `audio` (type File)
- If a file field shows a warning, re-select the file from disk

## Job lifecycle

1. Create job → status `PENDING`
2. Worker picks items → `ENCODING` → `UPLOADING` → `COMPLETED` or `FAILED`
3. Job rolls up to `COMPLETED`, `FAILED`, or `PARTIAL`

Poll with `GET /api/v1/jobs/:id`. Full status tables and response shapes: [Endpoints — Poll job status](./endpoints.md#poll-job-status).

## Discovery

```http
GET /api/v1
```

Returns the endpoint list and requirements (no auth).

## Next

See [Endpoints](./endpoints.md) for curl examples covering upload, jobs, layouts, watermarks, playlists, batch, resolutions, categories, and errors. For composition concepts (templates, blur, fine-tuning, fonts), see [Video editing](../video-editing.md).